The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1887-12-16
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ONE WAY TO REDUCE.

The Inter- Ocean published SATURDAY. AN
article prepared by Mr.. Wight, its
Washington correspondent, which we
wish might be read by every citizen.
Its length precludes its publication in
full in these columns, vet any synopsis
or extract would be unsatisfactory. 1t
was designed to show that the only safe,
sure and proper method of reducing
the treasury surplus lies in the reduc-
ton or adjustment of the internal rev.
enue taxes. That is the design of the
article, and the writer fortifies his posi-
ton by undisputable statistics and the
logic of experience. He advocates the
repeal of the tax on tobacco and liquor,
which alone would wipe out the surplus
with certainty. The adjustment of i'm
ternal revenue is the only sure way OF
decreasing the surplus, as it has been
the past experience of this and other
countries that reduction of customs
duties is almost sure to result in increas-
ed instead of reduced revenue. At
least, experience alone can demonstrate
what the result viii be, while by abol-
ishing internal taxes such as those on
tobacco and whisky vast and certain
reduction would be secured.
There certainly is no good reason to
longer retain the tobacco tax except
from the standpoint of the monopolist
dealers and manufacturers who find in
it a means to maintain grip ON the
market at the expense of the growers of
the crop. Mr.. Blaine plainly showed
in his recent interview that it was
clearly to the interest ofthe grower as
well as consumer to have this tax re-
moved. On the whisky question Mr..
Wight does not agree so closely with
Mr.. Blame. Those who read the latter's
remarks on the subject will remember
that he intimated that the whisky tax is
an aid to great moral reform-temper-
ance-while the facts, rs pointed out by
Mr.. Wight, show that instead ofbeing an
aid to the cause of temperance it is consi-
dered by great apostles of that cause a
hinderance to its growth, delaying indefi-
nitely its triumphs. To greater ex-
tent than in the manufacture of tobacco
has the distillation of whisky fallen into
the hands of capitalists and rich corpor-
ations who are little influenced by pub
lie opinion and hold concentrated po-
litical power difficult to overcome. tits
not probable that the consumption of
whisky has been diminished single
glass bv the tax it pays to the govern
ment, but the great distilleries of the
country have made their owners rich
and powerful, much more SO than they
ever, would have become without the
aid of the law which gives them special
privileges, and places their establish
ments under the guardianship of an Of
ficer of the National Government.
While it would not at present perhaps
be safe to do away with the entire in
ternal revenue system, we believe that
if a reduction of the surplus is wanted
the true way lies IN abolishing these
taxes which were adopted as war meas
ures and are no longer necessary. Ger
tain it is that the country can better af-
ford to give up the taxes upon her own
products than to take them off of foreign
made articles and products, and thus
Ijeopardixe the welfare of the great labor
interests of the country. one-half of
the internal revenue is expended in its
collection. II keeps on the government
rolls great horde of Office holders who
are altogether unnecessary, and these
added to the thousands that are inter-
ested in the distilleries and tobacco
factories form political influence that
is unhealthy.
President Cleveland thinks the sur
plus should be reduced, but is staggered
to know how to do it, But 1t is plain